Talking-machine reproducer



F.1G. MATHIEU.

TALKING MACHINE REPRODUCER.

' APPLICATION mm MAR. 12; 1919.

1,408,820. Patented Mar. 7, 1922. i a V 1 PATENT OFFICE.

FaaNkLm a. new, or cazcaeo, mnmols.

TALKING-HACHILNE nnrzwnocna Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 7, 1922.

Appllcatioif'flled March 12, um. Serial No. 282,156.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

it known that 1,. FnaNKLiN Gi Mariano, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the cit of Chicago, in the county of Cook and i ate of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in a Talking-MachineReproducer; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the numerals of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this: specification.

. My invention relates to talking machines and more particularly to the reproducers thereof with a view to improving the tone qualities of the machine.

Hitherto it has been usual in talking machine construction to provide a disc behind the diaphragm having a central aperture or apertures for the passage of sound from the diaphragm to the goose-neck.

The am litude of vibration of the central portion 0? the diaphragm is greater than that of the parts nearer the peri hery so that a greater volume of sound is o tainable from the center than from the outlying portions of the diaphragm. The tones given out by the central part of the diaphragm are, however; harsher and more strident than those from the outer portions of the dia hragm.

y invention is designed to overcome this defect.

It is an object therefore of my invention to provide means for softening the tones given out by the central portion of the diahragm and for giving relativelygreater edom to the passage of the-vibrations from the ter parts 0 the same.

It is also an object of my invention to provide an improved form of disc for controllin the passage of the sound waves from t e diaphragm to the horn or sounding box.

A further object of my invention is the provision of a sound reflector behind the center of the diaphragm adapted to reflect the vibrations received from the latter-in lateral directions.

Other and further important objects of this invention will be apparent from the disclosures in the specification and drawings.

The invention (in a preferred form) is illustrated in the drawings and hereinafter more fully described.

glued to In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a side view of a talking mach ne embodying my invention.

Figure 2 is a section g on the line 22 of F1 rel. igu'refi is a section on the line 3-3 of F1 to 2.

*igure 4 is a central section through a modified form olfreproducer.

Figure 5 is a section on the line 5--5 of Fi ure 4. i 4 shown in the drawings: 1 represents the top of a talking machine provi ed with the 'usual rotatiri record table 2, goose-neck 3, and horn 4. 1 s shown in Figure2, the goose-neck is provided with a flange 5, to the peripher of which are secure a. hard rubber was er 6, a disc 7 the washer and an annular ring 8 y suitable means such as screws 9.

The diaphragm 10 is resiliently held in piece b circular rubber tubes 11, engaging ch si e ofthe periphery ofthe diaphra Two forms ofwashers and discs are il ustrated. In the forms shown in Figures 2 and 3, the disc iscentrally dishedas at 12, so as to diaphragm so that the sound'waves projected perpendicularly from the surface of the diaphragm strike the curved surface 12 and are reflected laterally outwards and towards the diaphragm from which they are a ain reflected obliquely and outwardly.

or the passage of sound from the diaphragm to the ooseneck, a series of apertures are provided in the disc around the dished central portion 12. In the form of construction shown in Figure 2; these apertures are in the form of radial slots 13. In the washer 6, similar slots 14 are provided adapted to register with the slots 13. A centeal aperture 15 is formed in the washer to allow room for the rearward projection of the art 12. T e washer is glued to the metal disk 7 in order to revent vibration of the' metal disc. A rubber disc could be used in place of the combination of metal and rubber, but on account of the difiiculty and additional expense of manufacturing'a disc of the pecuiar shape, a combination of metal and rubber is preferred. Any be used in lace of the rubber. It also appears hat t e polished metal reflector has a better sound reflecting efiect than rubber or the like. An entire metallic disk thick like material "may present a concave surface to the results,

-enough so as not to vibrate might also be sed In Figures 4 and 5, a modified form of washer and plate are shown. In this case the disc 7 isprovided with 'a dished center 12 having rectangular instead of a curved outline. This dished center is, moreover, convex on the side opposite the diaphragm instead ofconcave'consequentl there is no need of a central aperture in t is washer 6.

A's-the part 12" projects towards the diaphragm, an additional washer in the form of an annular ring l7, is provided between the ring 8 and the disc 7 to hold the latter out of contact with the diaphragm.

The sounds comin from the dia are reflected from te curved surace 12, and some interference of the sound waves especially of those notes which would not be concordant and therefore would produce harsh sounds. It has been determined by experiment just what distances are necessary from the diaphragm to the reflector in order to eliminate all discords. Although two ormore notes may be separate] musical, it by no means follows that wlien sounded together they pro duce a pleasant sensation, they must be concordant. The apparatus of the invention serves toeliminate these discords.

The apertures in the disc 7 consist of a series of radially arranged holes 16. Preferabl the discs .7 and 7? are formed of meta while the washers 6 and 6 are of hard rubber but other materials may be employed as desired. I

The needle 18 may be connected to the center of the diaphragm 10 in any suitable wa such as that shown in Figure 1.

1 am aware that various details of conhragm struction may betfimed through a wide Y range without depart: [iron] the principles of this invention, an therefore do not purpose limiting the patent granted other Ippposite and other apertures adapted to register with p the apertures in said di i 2. A phonograph reproducer comprising a goose-neck anged at one end, a washer and a disc peripherally secured. to said flange and a diaphragm, and said disc having a central dished portion and apertures therearound, and said washer having aper-' tures adapted to register with said apertures in the disc.

3. A phonograph reproducer comprising a goose-neck flanged at one end, a washer and a disc peripherally secured to' said flange and a central dished portion and radially arranged apertures therearound, and said washer having apertures adapted to register with said apertures in the disc.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto subscribed my name in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

FRANKLIN G. MATHIEU.

W'itnesses:

EARL M. Haaomn, CHARLES W. HILLS, JR.

diaphragm, said disc having a 

